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Michigan Tech runs over Truman State 38-14 in impressive season debut

David Archambeau/Daily Mining Gazette Michigan Tech’s John Williams outraces Truman State’s Ben Chaney for a 45-yard touchdown in the first quarter Thursday at Sherman Field. Tech won 38-14.

HOUGHTON — There was nothing fancy or exotic in the Michigan Tech Huskies’ 38-14 victory over the Truman State Bulldogs Thursday at Sherman Field.

The Black and Gold featured a smash-mouth running game that accumulated 236 yards rushing, and utilized a physical defense to limit the Bulldogs to just 15 yards of offense in the second half.

It was the blue-collar type of game that Tech prides itself on.

“I feel good for the players and our coaching staff,” Steve Olson said after his first game as Tech’s head football coach. “That’s the biggest thing. It’s about us working hard together as a team.”

All offseason, improving the run game was a focal point for the Huskies; Tech averaged just 4 yards a carry the last two seasons and wanted to re-establish themselves as a dominant team on the offensive line of scrimmage. And against a unit that was ranked 19th against the run last season after allowing just 103 yards a game, the Huskies handily won the physical battle, averaging 6.1 yards per carry.

“(Offensive coordinator Dan) Mettlach and (offensive line coach David) Sartin and our offensive staff did a tremendous job of gameplanning what it was they could do and how they could attack,” Olson said. “I think they did a tremendous job of setting the stage for us to be able to run between the tackles.”

With Mettlach running the offense, Tech featured more offensive formations under center and utilized a lead blocker for senior running back John Williams in an offset-I or traditional I-formation. Williams recorded touchdown runs of 68, 45 and 2 yards on his way to earning a career-high 176 yards on 21 carries.

“Moving to under center opened up some different holes for me as far as vision goes,” Williams said. “I”m able to read how the defense is shifting and how they’re slanting. It just gives me a better vision of the play.

“Getting the lead blocker of Alex Sherbinow and Jordan Ferguson, they did a great job. They’re tougher than nails. The o-line played great and we were able to open up some holes and show that smash-mouth football.”

One of Williams’ favorite plays is the power pitch that he takes off tackle, and it was on this play where he had his biggest moments. On his first score, he cut it up inside off right tackle and went untouched for 45 yards to tie the game at 7.

“It was working every single time we ran it,” Williams said of the pitch. “The offensive line was getting right on their blocks.”

In the second quarter, Williams took a pitch to the left side and went 68 yards for the score, stiff-arming a defender on his way to the end zone to put Tech ahead 24-14.

Tech’s coaching staff also prepared to exploit Truman State on special teams. Last year, Truman State allowed three blocked punts, and Olson and his staff believed they had a chance to stuff one Thursday. With a block called in the first quarter, senior James Henderson busted through the Bulldogs’ line and blocked the kick of junior punter Brock Roehler at the Truman State 12. Tech junior Graham Hubbell recovered the fumble and fell into the end zone for a 14-7 lead.

“We felt like we could bring pressure and felt like we had a chance. There was no doubt about that,” Olson said. “We talked about it all week. Coach (Bryan) Thomas did a good job of prepping our guys with where the attack points were.”

Truman State sophomore quarterback Jaden Barr answered Hubbell’s touchdown on the next play from scrimmage when he cut back on a designed run and took advantage of Tech’s upfield push to find an open lane to outrace the Huskies for a 75-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14.

But that was the final highlight for Truman State’s offense. The Bulldogs were 1 of 14 on third down conversions and failed to convert on a fourth-and-9 from the Tech 30 before the end of the first half.

The Huskies clogged the running lanes and held top back, sophomore Jordan Salima, to 37 yards on 14 carries. And the pass rush never allowed Barr to comfortably throw down field. Eventually, the hits Barr took began to take their toll, and he left with an injury and did not return with 14 minutes, 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

“They beat us upfront pretty much the entire night,” Truman State head coach Gregg Nesbitt said. “That’s a recipe for disaster, and they did a good job of mixing coverage with good pressures. We never really were able to establish any semblance of a run game.”

Tech sophomore Jacob Wenzlick returned the second-half kickoff 66 yards to the Truman State 30 before a facemask call moved the ball to the 15. Three plays later, Williams scored from 2 yards out.

Making his first collegiate start, Tech senior Jake Brown exhibited poise and played a relatively safe game, completing 12 of 17 passes for 121 yards and one touchdown. But when he needed to make plays, he did, despite injuries forcing last year’s leading receiver, senior Ian Fischer, and sophomore receiver Ben Hartley unavailable this week.

Brown scrambled and connected with senior receiver David Falish along the sideline to gain 23 on a second-and-14. And on his best throw of the day, Brown found sophomore Kevin Kirkland in the end zone on a fly along the sideline, dropping the ball in just over a Truman State defender for a 25-yard score and a 38-14 lead.

“A game manager is talked as pretty negatively sometimes, but really, to me, it’s not too bad of a term,” Brown said. “That’s what I’m trying to do. I have plenty of athletes around me, and Johnny’s a great back, our line is great and all I have to do is get the ball in the athletes’ hands and let them make the plays.”

Tech sophomore linebacker Marvin Wright continued his tackling spree from last season with 13 stops, including two tackles for a loss and a sack.

INJURY UPDATES

Fischer, Hartley and junior defensive end Garrett Ross were key contributors who did not suit up. Fischer was wearing a cast on his right arm and his return is still in question.

“We should get Ross back next week,” Olson said. “The other two guys, we’re not sure yet. We’re waiting to find out how things go.”

Truman 14 0 0 0 — 14

Tech 14 10 7 7 — 38

First quarter

Truman — Jake Ellis 3-yard pass from Jaden Barr (XP good), 7-0, 5:27

Tech — John Williams 45-yard run (XP good), 7-7, 2:55

Tech — Graham Hubbell 2-yard blocked punt return (XP good), 14-7, 0:36

Truman — Barr 75-yard run (XP good), 14-14, 0:17

Second quarter

Tech — Evan Gornick 25-yard field goal, 17-14, 6:36

Tech — Williams 68-yard run, 24-14, 3:34

Third quarter

Tech — Williams 2-yard run (XP good), 31-14, 12:57

Fourth quarter

Tech — Kevin Kirkland 25-yard pass from Jake Brown (XP good), 38-14, 12:19

Total offense

Truman State 209 (135 rushing, 74 passing); Tech 357 (236 rushing, 121 passing)

Passing (completions-attempts-yards-touchdowns-interceptions)

Truman State — Barr 12-17-79-0-0, Zeigler 2-6- -5-0-0; Tech — Brown 12-17-121-1-0.

Rushing (attempts-yards-touchdowns)

Truman State — Barr 12-116-1, Salima 14-37-0, Robbins 3-8-0; Tech — Williams 21-176-3, Henderson 11-45-0, Brown 4-17-0, Ferguson 1-1-0.

Receiving (catches-yards-touchdowns)

Truman State — Ruffin 2-31, Slager 5-14, Salima 4-13, Ellis 2-11-1; Tech — Falish 2-28-0, 2-25-1, Ferguson 3-22-0, Wenzlick 3-21-0.

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